Natural Remedies for Chronic Headaches

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Natural Remedies for Chronic Headaches

Posted On : Oct-04-2010 | seen (493) times | Article Word Count : 1034 |

Many treatments and technique are available, both to relieve and prevent these headaches pain. All these treatments depending on which type of headache you have.

Chronic headache, or chronic daily headache (CDH) are defined as "headaches that occur more than 15 days per month for longer than 3 months. Chronic daily headache is not a diagnosis but a category that contains many disorders representing primary and secondary headaches. The primary headaches include migraine, tension-type, and cluster headaches. The prolonged or very frequent headaches are usually known as the chronic headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by medical conditions, such as infection or increased pressure in the skull due to a growing tumor. These account for a very small percentage of all headaches.

Many treatments and technique are available, both to relieve and prevent these headaches pain. All these treatments depending on which type of headache you have. The medications known to play a role in treatment headches such as analgesics, Beta blockers, antidepressant and Injections of anesthetics. These medications do not cure headaches completely and just give the timely relief. There are numerous side effects with these medications and if you use these medications in a frequent manner and for a longer period of time, they will lose their necessary effect. To be on the safe side, there are many natural alternatives for pain relief which are quite effective:

1. stress management and relaxation techniques: Meditation, Hypnosis, Biofeedback, and Yoga. Some people get relief by reaching a state of near hypnosis using meditation or what some people call self-hypnosis. Biofeedback can be learned in a few easy sessions. Practitioners of Yoga know a few positions that can relieve a variety of headaches.

2. Drinking plenty of water. Headaches happen to be one of the best indicators of dehydration. You need to drink at least eight glasses of water to help keep you in optimum health and lessen the onset of some headaches.

3. Massage. Firm massage of the forehead, neck, and scalp has been reported to help relieve a headache. Massage is a great weapon to relieve stress.

4. Acupuncture. acupuncture is based in part on the premise that blood and energy termed Qi (pronounced chee) circulate in a cyclical fashion through these meridians. This energy flow is required for good health. may relieve some of the symptoms of your tension-type headache by helping to reduce tension in your muscles.

5. Apply an ice pack. Wrap an ice pack in a dry towel, and apply the cloth to your forehead in 10- to 20-minute intervals. Cold therapy reduces inflammation and relaxes tense muscles.

6. Diet

Changing your diet is probably the easiest way to avoid and remedy headaches, as it only takes simple changes and is primarily in your control.

-Avoid Caffeine. Caffeine is a widely used substance that comes not only in coffee, but also tea, chocolate, certain medications and soft drinks. When used regularly, a caffeine dependency can form and withdrawing the substance may lead to severe headaches.

- Avoid tyramine. Tyramine is a substance in certain foods that appears after the breakdown of protein. Sensitivity to tyramine may cause acute headaches. Foods high in tyramine include aged cheese, Vinegar (relish, salad dressings, sauces, catsup), Organ meats (kidney liver), alcoholic beverages (especially red wine), Sour Cream, Soy sauce, Yogurt, some processed meats, Yeast extracts pickles, onions, olives, fava beans, raisins, nuts, avocados, canned soups.

- Avoid Food preservatives or additives. Food preservatives (or additives) contained in certain foods can trigger headaches. Many foods contain certain additives like artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners, which may be the culprits behind nasty headaches. These additives may change the amount of blood flow to the brain and trigger a headache. Certain food additives,including Monosodium Glutamatem, aspartame, saccharin, nuts, hot dogs, ham, sausage, bacon, luncheon meats, chinese foods, soups, dressings, mayonnaise, frozen foods or potato chips.

- Reduce your salt intake. too much salt can and does cause headaches.

7. Try some Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is an ancient healing art that has been used to treat and cure stress headaches for ages. It works well whether you are using massage oils or inhaling the different herbal oils. Using aromatherapy to treat headaches is nothing new as this method of healing has been around for centuries.

8. Reflexology. Reflexology is touted as a treatment for all sorts of ailments, and clinical studies seem to confirm its effectiveness for some, including headaches. Use the thumb and index finger of one hand to apply pressure to the fleshy area between the thumb and index finger of the other hand. Hold this for a minute or two. This doesn't seem to work for everyone, but for some people, this provides immediate relief. The relief may be temporary, or you may get rid of your headache entirely.

9. Remove yourself from the trigger. If you think you know what triggered your headache or, alternately, what's aggravating it, avoid that thing. If it's stress, for example, remove yourself from the stressful situation and try to relax. If the sun's bright light is aggravating your headache, go inside or put on some sunglasses. You can't get away from some triggers, such as a food that you already ate, but you can avoid them in the future.

10. Consult your doctor or chiropractor if you get frequent, long-lasting, or very severe headaches. Most tension headaches cause mild to moderate pain and go away on their own fairly quickly, even in the absence of treatment. These are known as episodic tension headaches. Chronic tension headaches, on the other hand, can last for days, weeks, or even longer. These often require special treatment and, sometimes, prescription medications. Other types of headaches, including migraine headaches and cluster headaches, can also be longer-lasting and can cause excruciating pain.

Finally, it's important to note that frequent or severe headaches may be symptoms of another illness or disorder. If you experience frequent or severe headaches, or headaches that are accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, vision problems, or dizziness, you might want to make an appointment with your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and effective treatments. Headaches can be a sign of many different things, always consult your health care provider for any health care concerns you may have.

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<h1>Natural Remedies for Chronic Headaches</h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_MedicalZones.aspx'>MedicalZones</a> Chronic headache, or chronic daily headache (CDH) are defined as "headaches that occur more than 15 days per month for longer than 3 months. Chronic daily headache is not a diagnosis but a category that contains many disorders representing primary and secondary headaches. The primary headaches include migraine, tension-type, and cluster headaches. The prolonged or very frequent headaches are usually known as the chronic headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by medical conditions, such as infection or increased pressure in the skull due to a growing tumor. These account for a very small percentage of all headaches.

Many treatments and technique are available, both to relieve and prevent these headaches pain. All these treatments depending on which type of headache you have. The medications known to play a role in treatment headches such as analgesics, Beta blockers, antidepressant and Injections of anesthetics. These medications do not cure headaches completely and just give the timely relief. There are numerous side effects with these medications and if you use these medications in a frequent manner and for a longer period of time, they will lose their necessary effect. To be on the safe side, there are many natural alternatives for pain relief which are quite effective:

1. stress management and relaxation techniques: Meditation, Hypnosis, Biofeedback, and Yoga. Some people get relief by reaching a state of near hypnosis using meditation or what some people call self-hypnosis. Biofeedback can be learned in a few easy sessions. Practitioners of Yoga know a few positions that can relieve a variety of headaches.

2. Drinking plenty of water. Headaches happen to be one of the best indicators of dehydration. You need to drink at least eight glasses of water to help keep you in optimum health and lessen the onset of some headaches.

3. Massage. Firm massage of the forehead, neck, and scalp has been reported to help relieve a headache. Massage is a great weapon to relieve stress.

4. Acupuncture. acupuncture is based in part on the premise that blood and energy termed Qi (pronounced chee) circulate in a cyclical fashion through these meridians. This energy flow is required for good health. may relieve some of the symptoms of your tension-type headache by helping to reduce tension in your muscles.

5. Apply an ice pack. Wrap an ice pack in a dry towel, and apply the cloth to your forehead in 10- to 20-minute intervals. Cold therapy reduces inflammation and relaxes tense muscles.

6. Diet

Changing your diet is probably the easiest way to avoid and remedy headaches, as it only takes simple changes and is primarily in your control.

-Avoid Caffeine. Caffeine is a widely used substance that comes not only in coffee, but also tea, chocolate, certain medications and soft drinks. When used regularly, a caffeine dependency can form and withdrawing the substance may lead to severe headaches.

- Avoid tyramine. Tyramine is a substance in certain foods that appears after the breakdown of protein. Sensitivity to tyramine may cause acute headaches. Foods high in tyramine include aged cheese, Vinegar (relish, salad dressings, sauces, catsup), Organ meats (kidney liver), alcoholic beverages (especially red wine), Sour Cream, Soy sauce, Yogurt, some processed meats, Yeast extracts pickles, onions, olives, fava beans, raisins, nuts, avocados, canned soups.

- Avoid Food preservatives or additives. Food preservatives (or additives) contained in certain foods can trigger headaches. Many foods contain certain additives like artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners, which may be the culprits behind nasty headaches. These additives may change the amount of blood flow to the brain and trigger a headache. Certain food additives,including Monosodium Glutamatem, aspartame, saccharin, nuts, hot dogs, ham, sausage, bacon, luncheon meats, chinese foods, soups, dressings, mayonnaise, frozen foods or potato chips.

- Reduce your salt intake. too much salt can and does cause headaches.

7. Try some Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is an ancient healing art that has been used to treat and cure stress headaches for ages. It works well whether you are using massage oils or inhaling the different herbal oils. Using aromatherapy to treat headaches is nothing new as this method of healing has been around for centuries.

8. Reflexology. Reflexology is touted as a treatment for all sorts of ailments, and clinical studies seem to confirm its effectiveness for some, including headaches. Use the thumb and index finger of one hand to apply pressure to the fleshy area between the thumb and index finger of the other hand. Hold this for a minute or two. This doesn't seem to work for everyone, but for some people, this provides immediate relief. The relief may be temporary, or you may get rid of your headache entirely.

9. Remove yourself from the trigger. If you think you know what triggered your headache or, alternately, what's aggravating it, avoid that thing. If it's stress, for example, remove yourself from the stressful situation and try to relax. If the sun's bright light is aggravating your headache, go inside or put on some sunglasses. You can't get away from some triggers, such as a food that you already ate, but you can avoid them in the future.

10. Consult your doctor or chiropractor if you get frequent, long-lasting, or very severe headaches. Most tension headaches cause mild to moderate pain and go away on their own fairly quickly, even in the absence of treatment. These are known as episodic tension headaches. Chronic tension headaches, on the other hand, can last for days, weeks, or even longer. These often require special treatment and, sometimes, prescription medications. Other types of headaches, including migraine headaches and cluster headaches, can also be longer-lasting and can cause excruciating pain.

Finally, it's important to note that frequent or severe headaches may be symptoms of another illness or disorder. If you experience frequent or severe headaches, or headaches that are accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, vision problems, or dizziness, you might want to make an appointment with your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and effective treatments. Headaches can be a sign of many different things, always consult your health care provider for any health care concerns you may have.About the Author: If you want more information about <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.medicalzones.com">headches</a> please visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://hubpages.com/hub/Chronic-Headaches">this site </a>right now. Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Natural-Remedies-for-Chronic-Headaches_35576.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Natural Remedies for Chronic Headaches_35576.aspx</a>

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Keywords : natural remedies for chronic headaches, Health, headaches, chronic headaches cure, alternative medicine,

Category : Health and Fitness : Alternative Medicine

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